Feeding-machine.



G. E. D. PARKER.

FEEDING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 23, 190B.

Patented July 5, 1910.

21%EETS-SHEET 1.

I INVENTOR.

Gcorycfif Q Padr ,%W

' G. 1). PARKER.

FEEDING MACHINE.

APPLIOATION FILED MAY 23, 1908.

Patented July 5, 1910.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

'" INVENTOR.

certainty, or other ,State of useful Improvements in Feed' 'eEoReE E. n. PARKER, or SYRACUSE, N W YORK.

FEEDING-MACHINE.

To all whom it may concern: 1

Beitknown that I, GEORGE E. D. PAR- KER, citizen of the United States, residing at Syracuse, in the county of Onondaga and N ew York, have invented new and -Machines, of which the following is a spec' cation. I My invention relates to machines for feedlng-iron, or steel, articles one by one to other mechanisms by which the articles are formed, punched, counted or otherwise operated upon, and relates particularly to the new lneans and mechanism for retaining and separating the articles which are bein fed. The invention consists essentially in an inclined feed chute, down which the articles tend to slide, and of a magnet whereby the series .of articles is held back in the chute and the lowest in the series separated and loosened, so as to be in the best position to be withdrawn one by one, with ease and and delivered to the punch-press, operating mechanism. Any suitable means for engaging with the lowest article in the chute and removing it therefrom may be combined with the magnetic retaining means.

invention is particularly adapted for and bodies," which are used in large numbers in'the manufacture of-cans.

.25 section, partially feeding -machine .punch Inthe drawin invention emb iedin a form of machine adapted to feeddisks, or circular blanks, to a punch-press for forming can-caps or ends.

The; reference numerals of thedescription indicate the corresponding parts in all the figures .ofthe drawing. 7 Figure 1 is a side elevation showing my with portion of the press broken away. Fig.

1 3 is an enlarged vertical, longitudinal, axial section of Flg. '2.

F15. 4 is a portion of Fig 3 further enlarge Fig. 5- is a crossof Fig. 1.

In the drawin' 1 indicates the frame of the feeding mac me having parallel sideplates, a base-plate and a top-plate, 3. By means of 'bolts2, this frame and the entlre feeding mechanism are secured to the bracket 4 of the punch ress .mam frame 5. It is desirable to provi' e slots 1n the baseplate as indicated in Fig. 3, for said bolts to permit adjustment of the feeding mechanism Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed May 23, 1908. Serial No. 434,546.

This feed-chute may the front,or lower, feed-chute, herewith I have shown my d in connection with a '-press. -F1g.,2 is'a "top plan of Fig. 11

in elevation, on line-5-5 then operating, the cu is then open,

Patented July 5, 1910.

with reference to the press. of the frame is adjustably secured by means of bolts 8, a tubular magazine, or gravity feed chute, 7, for the articles in question.

with a flaring end 10 and an upper extension 11, more conveniently to recelve the articles. As here shown the chute is arranged .below the top plate 3, and is longitudinally adjustable thereon by means of the bolts 8.

and slots thereforas indicated in Fig. 3.

15 is the magnet arranged adjacent tothe chute to hold back the entire series of articles in the chute, and to separate the lower articles so that the lowest one is in the mostconvenient position to be separated."

(These articles are shown unlettere'd in Fi s. 3 and 4). This magnet may be of any esirable form and arrangement, but is prefshown, 19 indicates the connecting wires to the coils of the two cores, which are connected below by the cross-bar l7 and are provided at-their pole-ends with the pole pieces 16 extending adjacent to the upper surface of the chute. The ma net is secured to the frame 1 by any suitab e means, such as bolts. '18.

21 is a tubular valve casing arranged above end of the magazine, or

On the top-plate desirably be formed erably an electroinagnet. In the form here and adjustably secured in place.

on the toplate 3'by,means of the bolts 24 fitting suita le slots as shown in Fi 2. 27 is a slidingvalve fitted tosaid casmg and provided at its front end'with the arm 28 carryin the rearwardly faced vacuum cup,

or nozz e 29. From said cup there extends;

through the arm and the valve a channel 31 'to the port 32. When this valve is moved rearwardly' in its; bearing by mechanism to be descri the. port registerswith the tion alr-exhaust mechanism, and at the same time .rmly grips the said the vacuum cup comes into contact with the mouth 34' ofthe stem 3 5, connectedby a sucpipe 36 to any suitable and convenient blank, to separate it rom the. series. and to Withdraw it from the chute on the return stroke, until the valve reaches the position shown. in Fig. 3, when, as the port 32 the vacuum is broken and the blank drops intothe slideway- 40 whence it is delivered to the die 41 of the. ress. This shdeway may be secured in position on the punch-press by bo1ts :44, or other suitable p away rom the cu 4 bolster center as best shown weight of the blank chute, the

'54 on the crank shaft 55. ,25-

means, and ma be provided with a cover secured in p ace by bolts 46 and having an inclined rear end, the better to, receive the blanks. The cup 1s preferably arranged blank abovethe blank in Fig. 3, so that the is below the center of the cu and the blank is more certain to fall into the slide-way when en. A stripper-finger 47 to engage with the the vacuum is bro may be arranged on one, cup to engage wit the blank and further to msure its separation from the cup. These stripper fingers may be carried on the cover 45, or otherwise desirably supported. For extracting the blanks, one by one, from the I vacuum on mechanism here shown is desirable, but t is may be varied in construction or operation, or other and nonfrom the slidin valve27 through a slot between the gui es 66. By this meansfthe vacuum cu and valve are timed to operate in cooperatlon with the punch press.

7 0 is a delivery chute for the finished caps. Referring morepartieularly to my magnetic retaining and separating means for the blanks, I believe that this is essentially new and I therefore desire to claim it broadly without reference to the particular form and arrangement of the parts, or to the particular mechanism by which the lowest blank is withdrawn from the series.

The magnetmay be of different forms, having oneor two pole ends, arranged on one or both sides of the chute, and above or below, as may be most convenient for the particular machine in question, the function of the ma et being as aforesaid to hold back the b anks in the chute and to loosen the lower blanks so that the lowestof all is free to be withdrawn, without danger of a second or third clinging to it or coming with 1t and bein delivered to the 'press at the same time, his mode of operation and result distinguishes my feeding mechanism from all other mechanisms designed for similar pur oses, with which I am acquainted. Hereto ore in such mechanisms the weight of the whole pile rested on the bottom sheet or blank, so that two or more sheets often clung to ether, either from the influence of oil, or 0% air pressureor from the nesting caused by the rough e ges formed in stampbut tended to injure the or both sides, of the.

"magazine by ravity,

ing the sheets, and two or more sheets were often fed together which not only disturbed the continuity and certainty of operation, punch press. Such accidents are fatal to the utility of a feeding mechanism. The lowest sheet or blank was the most difiicult tose arate. In my machine such an accident 'as never happened, though many millions of blanks have a ready been fed thereby, and from the description it will be clear that such an accident cannot happen because it is the blanks higher in the magazine which are most closely compacted while the lowermost are loosened and the force of the magnet tends to separate" them, one from the other, at the lowest end. Here the lowest disk is-the easiest to separate. Another advantage of my magnet-1c feeding mechanism is that the small clippings and slivers,

lanks, are attracted they are not carried into the press where they would interfere with the clean impression made by the die,

and would also tend to choke and injure the die and punch.

In the particular form of machine and application of m invention here shown,the entire series of but is held in position and prevente from sliding through by the attraction of the magnet'exertedon the lowermost blanks, being those .in' the magnet field; the magnet is arranged conveniently with its ole pigwes adjacent to the upper surface of the chute, 'so that its pull holds and raises the blanks in its field thus retaining the entire series in the chute. The magnet also but, as this turnin is prevented by the wall of the chute, the b anks at the lower, or forward, end of the chute remain substantially suspended, b, their upper edges, with their lower edges oose and practically free; they are in the path of the vacuum-cup, with the surface of the. lowest blank substantially parallel to the cup and therefore in the best p ition for loosely and therefore is separated easily from the series without any possibility of the next blank clinging thereto.

The ma et ends, or pole-pieces, are arranged ad acent to the forward ends of the chute but not too near, ing effect of the magnet on the blanks would tend to deliver them out of the open end of the chute. For this reason particularly the chute is mounted adjustably. It will be understood that the power of the magnet must. be proportioned to the weight of the whole'pile of blanks in the chute, that is, the magnet must be powerful enough to hold u the pile by the attraction it exerts on the ower blanks, lying in the magnetic field, and yet must not be too often clinging to the bythe magnet, so that tends to turn the blanks flat,

the suction grip thereof. As. .a oresaid the lowest blank hangs most lanks isfed down in the otherwise the turnany suitable form may be series of plates will in by their own weight, of an electi'o-magnet strong to oppose, or. render difficult, the separation and withdrawal of the lowest blank by the extractor. To that end an electro-magnet'is most convenient in which the current can be regulated. The current is, of course, constant while the machine is in operation, and when the machine stops the current canbeltunned oif. The chute is desirably made of brass, or other suitable non-ma netic material, for if made of steel,'it wou d be magnetized and easy movement. of the blanks would be prevented. v

As shown in Fi 4, the front end of the chute may be ma e detachable, so as to be renewed when necessary, for the withdrawal of the blanks by the vacuum-cup tends to wear it. .If desired to use a one piece chute, it could be made of hardened material, for instanceglass.

While I have shown a cylindrical chute, used, for-instance a chute. of square cross-section in feedin square blanks. I have used a V-shape chute with good results, for disks of various sizes .find a bearing in the bottom thereof.

I have shown a desirable arrangement of the feeding machine, butit may be set at adiiferent inclination or verticallyor otherwise arranged.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is v 1. Ina machinefor feedin of ma netic material the com an inc ined chute to receive a plates, said chute plates made ination with seriesof the being so arranged that the tend to slide down therearranged adjacent to the lower-end of the chute and ada ted by its attraction on the lower plates 0 the series to hold up the ext tire series in the chute and to separate the lowest plates, one from the other.

2. In a machine for feeding iron or tin plates the combination with a downwardly inclined chute to receive a series of the plates, of an electro-ma net arranged adjacent to the lower end of the chute to hold up the series in the chute against the force of grav-, ity andto loosen thelowest plate'from the series and of means 'to engage with the.

plates in'the lowest position and to extract them one by one from the chute.

3. In a machine for feeding small metallic plates of a material subject to ma etic attraction, the combination with downwardly inclined chute to receive a series of the" plates, of an electro-magnet having a double "polepiece and of means to energize the magnet at will, said magnet being arranged adjacent to the downwardly arranged end of-the chute and having the polepieces on opposite sides thereof, andsa1d pole-pieces having their ends arran ed adacent to the upper surface of the chute, so

I of the chute and intend to raise the ower plates of the series toward the upper surface of the chute,

4. In a machine for feeding tin disks for cancap ends to a cap forming machine, the a combination with a downwardly inclined cylindrical chute, or magazine, to receive the disks set on edge therein and to permit them to slide down therein by their own weight,

10f an. 'electro-magnet arranged outside of the chute and adjacent to the lowermost, or forward, end thereof, said ma net having the ends of its pole-piece, or. po e-pieces, arranged adjacent to the upper surface of the chute, soas'to tend to raise the lower disks of the series toward said upper surface at said lowermost end to loosen the lower disks series one from the other, of a vacuum cup of a size suitable to enter the lowermost end of the chute and toengage with the lowest disk therein, of meansto reciprocate the cup so to engage, of means, to create a vacuum in the cup when of means to cut ofl the vacuum when the said disk has been withdrawn from the chute.

5. In a machine for feeding small iron or steel plates, the combination with a delivery chute to receive a series of the plates means tending to advance the series within said chute, an electro-ma-gnet havin .pole ieces oppositely arran ed and exten mg ad acent to the upper sur ace-of the chute and at the lower end thereof, so as to retard the ad-. Vance of the whole series of plates and to raise the forward plates within the chute, .a valve casing adjustably supported, a slidevalve within the casing, an arm on theforward slide valve end, a vacuum-cup carried by said arm and adaptedto en age the firstplate of the series .within the c ute when in rearward position, Valve slide, withm the cup when m rear engagm posh means to reciprocate the ,tion, whereby the plate will be wlth rawn,

and means'to break the vacuum when in its forward position to release the plate.

6. In a machine for feedin small tin plates, the combination with a de ivery chute I the p'lates, said chute being inclined so that the plates will tend to slide down therein, an electro-magnet having pole pieces oppositely arranged and extendlng adjacent to the upper surface of the clfute'and at the lower end thereof, so as. to retard the advance of the whole series of plates. and to raise the lower the chute, a valve casingad ported, a slide-valve within t arm on the forward slide valve um cup carried bysaid arm andadapted to engage the first plate of the series within the chute when the cup is in rearward osito receive a series of u stably supe casing, an end, a vacution, means to reciprocate the valve side,

engaging with the disk and:

and meansto create a vacuum plates, within when in said forward position.

- register with the exhaust um cup carried by said arm,

vacuum cup 7. In a feeding mechanism for small tin plates the combination with a punch-press,

of a suitable frame secured thereon and'adjustable in its relation to the press, a feedchute on the frame for the plates, said chute being inclined to permit'the feeding of the articles by gravity, an electro-magnet arranged adjacent to the lower or forward end of the chute, saidmagnet having across bar below, cores and coils on each sideof the chute and p le-pieces inwardl extending adjacent tothe upper surface 0 the chute, a valve casin secured on the frame, a sliding valve fitting within the casing, an arm on the forward 'end of the slide-valve, a'vacusai valve cas-' ing having an exhaust ort, said valve slide having a valve port an a channel from the to the valve, port, said valve port arranged to communicate with the open when in extreme forward position and to ort when the valve slide is in rearward position, means to reciprocate the valve and cup, said cu being arranged to engage the first plate wit in the chute; whenin said rearward position and slightly above the center of said first plate, whereby upon forward movement of the slide said plate will be withdrawn, and means to exhaust the air from the exhaust port, substantiallyas described and shown.

8. In a feeding mechanism for tin plates, the combination with a punch press, of a suitable frame secured thereon, having side plllates, a base plate and atop late, a feed c ute immediately beneath said top plate, said chute being inclined to ers arranged for the tin plates carried y the frame 1 permit the feeding of the tin plates by gravity, an electro-magnet having pole ieces extending adjacent to the up er sur ace of the chute and adjacent to the ower end thereof, a valve casing adjustably secured on the frame, a sliding valve within the casing, an arm on the forward slide-valve end, a vacuum cup carried by said arm, arock-armpivotally sup orted on the frame, a lug on the valve s11 e, outwardly extendin through a slot in the casing, connections between said lug 'and the roc -arm,

a punch-press crank shaft, connections between the said crank-shaft and the rock-arm whereby said arm is rocked to reciprocate the valve-slide, said casing having an e21 haust port, said slide having a valve port and a channel from the vacuum cup to the valve port, said valve port being arranged to communicate with the open when in extreme forward position and to register with the exhau' t port when the valve slide is in rearward position, whereby upon forward movement of the'slide said tin plate will be withdrawn, and means to exhaust the airfrom the exhaust port, substantially as described and shown.

9. In a machine for feedingsmall articles of magnetic material, the combination with a downwardly inclined chute to receive a series of the articles, of a magnet arranged adjacent to the lower end of the chute to hold up the series of articles therein, and supplemental means toengage with the lowermost article of the series and to withdraw said articles one by one from the chute.

- In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

GEORGE E. D. PARKER.

Witnesses: C. G. SCHOENEGK,

PEARL PnARsALL. 

